freenovelworld Chapter 565 Heartwarming Thoughts!
Chapter 565 Heartwarming Thoughts!
After seeing the Prince of Ming off, Duanmu Chuze's thoughts were quite complicated.
He had to admit that some of what his brother, the Ming King, said made a lot of sense.
At least for now, the Xie family has already shown some distrust towards him.
Xie, on the other hand, is now the most capable assistant to the Crown Prince.
That wasn't what Duanmu Chuze was worried about. He knew his own abilities and the love his father and mother had for him, so naturally he wouldn't allow the Crown Prince to harm him in the future.
However, even so, he still had to be cautious.
Thinking about all the trouble I've caused in Yanzhou, I'm afraid that some people with ulterior motives have already pinned countless charges against me to the Crown Prince! After all, the more outstanding I am here, the more uneasy my elder brother will become.
Duanmu Chuze felt conflicted, upset, and suffocated!
Even if one possesses abundant talent and a brilliant mind for governing the country, what good is it? In the end, one cannot overcome the power of authority!
If one has no interest in the affairs of the country and only wants to govern one's own small territory well, it will likely draw criticism!
If he performs poorly, people will inevitably think he is mediocre and incompetent. That's secondary. The key issue is that the people of Yan will continue to suffer and be poor, which is naturally not what he wants to see.
But if he did too well, he would inevitably arouse the jealousy of his elder brothers in the capital. Even if he didn't have this thought now, over time, under the influence of the Xie clan, he would probably have it too.
What's more, there's also Duanmu Chen, who's always eyeing his wife!
Duanmu Chuze sighed heavily. Fortunately, the things he was doing now wouldn't show results overnight. If he wanted to achieve anything remarkable in the future, he would have to wait at least a few more years.
However, the words of the King of Light today reminded him.
At the very least, I cannot allow the Crown Prince to harbor resentment towards me in the next few years.
A single spark can start a prairie fire!
If someone keeps speaking ill of me now, who knows if the crown prince will turn against me when he ascends the throne?
Duanmu Chuze's eyes flickered slightly, and he took another deep breath. It seemed that he needed to prepare for some things sooner rather than later.
That night, Duanmu Chuze held discussions with several close confidants in the council chamber until late into the night.
After leaving him, King Ming rode at breakneck speed, traveling day and night, and finally returned to his residence before dawn. The next morning, he met with the Prefect of Xingzhou, which finally put his superiors at ease.
Duanmu Chuze, on the other hand, was extremely busy for several days in a row.
Mu Xin Nuan was focused on preparing for the year-end banquet. Although she noticed that Duanmu Chu Ze seemed preoccupied, he left early and returned late, and she hadn't seen him for several days.
Although Mu Xin Nuan was worried about Duanmu Chu Ze, she also knew that a place like the Council of State was not suitable for her to go there often.
She felt something was wrong when she went there last time.
With the New Year approaching, the government offices must be busy with many official matters. Before taking their leave, officials always need to arrange all these affairs.
"Rongyue, instruct the kitchen to prepare enough food for ten people today, and then deliver it to the Council of State at noon."
"Yes, Your Highness. But doesn't the Council of State also have a kitchen?"
"The kitchen of the Council of State can only cook porridge and the like at most. How can it be as exquisite as what we cook in our Prince's Mansion? Besides, the Prince and the others have been working too hard these past few days. They must be very tired. If they don't get proper nourishment, they might fall ill."
Aunt Fang agreed, saying, "What the Princess is worried about is that the Prince has indeed been extremely busy these days. As the head of the inner quarters, this is all the Princess can do."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, somewhat worried, "I know A Ze's personality. Once he gets busy with something, he doesn't care about anything else. He's alright, but think about all the officials and ministers below him. Most of them are older than him. How can they be as strong and healthy as him? If they get sick from overwork, who will do the work below?"
"That's what the princess is worried about."
As Duanmu Chuze and Liu Yi were discussing things, they heard someone outside announce that the princess had arrived.
Liu Yi and the others were slightly surprised. Since the last time, the princess had not come, and she had always shown no intention of interfering in politics. What was going on today?
The National Assembly is a place where officials discuss politics. If there is nothing important, the princess probably won't come.
It's quite a coincidence that Li Haoran is here today as well.
Duanmu Chuze put down his pen, waved his hand, and the servant left.
When Mu Xin Nuan entered, she saw that everyone in the room seemed to have stopped what they were doing.
"Greetings to the prince."
No matter how much Mu Xin Nuan is favored within the mansion, she still needs to maintain proper etiquette outside the home.
"Greetings to the princess."
"Alright, no need for formalities. Ah Nuan, what brings you here?"
Mu Xin Nuan looked up at him. It had been several days, and she had finally seen him properly. She shook her head slightly and said, "Someone, bring the things in."
Aunt Fang and the others filed in, and everyone then realized that the Princess had prepared lunch for them. Looking at the hourglass, they realized that it was already past noon.
Aunt Fang instructed that all the food be laid out, and in an instant, the room was filled with the aroma of food.
At this moment, Duanmu Chuze truly understood what delicious food meant.
"I know you are busy, Your Highness, but even if you are busy, you must fill your stomach first, right? I have had enough food prepared for ten people, which should be enough for you and the other officials to have a meal together."
After Mu Xin Nuan finished speaking, she gave a slight curtsy and said, "I won't disturb you any longer."
At this moment, Duanmu Chuze sensed a slight distance from Mu Xin Nuan and wanted to call out to her, but Mu Xin Nuan did not give him the chance and turned away directly.
Inside the room, besides the delicious aroma, there were only a few grown men, their eyes fixed on the food on the table with a hint of malevolence.
Duanmu Chuze smiled helplessly and rubbed his forehead. "It was my carelessness. I've been busy with state affairs these past few days, and I've neglected you. Gentlemen, please take your seats. Since the Princess Consort has so kindly prepared these, we can't let her down. Otherwise, if the Princess Consort is unhappy when we get back, I will be unhappy tomorrow too."
That one sentence did ease the atmosphere somewhat.
Li Haoran looked at the table full of delicious food, paused for a moment, sighed almost imperceptibly, and took his seat.
That day, Duanmu Chuze didn't dare to stay up too late. He finished his business early and went straight to Yijing Garden after returning to his residence.
At that time, Mu Xin Nuan was reading a medical book.
"You're back?" Hearing him enter the house, Mu Xin Nuan felt a slight joy in her heart, but there was no smile on her face. Instead, she kept a cold expression and ignored him.